1.5-3 v lithium batteries with overcharge protection

ABSTRACT

Rechargeable, non-aqueous lithium batteries which contain, as active anode material, either lithium metal or a lithium alloy, an active cathode material with a redox potential in the range of between 1.5 and 3.4 V vs. Li/Li +  and lithium rhodanide (LiSCN) as electrolyte component.

Lithium ion batteries (LiBs) are battery systems having the highest specific energy density at the present time. They consist of a combination of two lithium insertion materials which are capable of reversibly inserting and deinserting lithium ions at different potential levels. In general, the cathode (the positive terminal) consists of a lithium metal oxide, while the anode (the negative active terminal) contains a graphitic material. The anode reaction is then as follows:

Li⁺+e ⁻+6C

LiC₆

The theoretical capacitance of graphitic materials is given by the limiting stoichiometry of LiC₆, and is 372 mAh/g.

Anode materials having a higher capacitance are also known, first and foremost being lithium metal itself, which has a theoretical specific capacitance of 3,860 MAh/g.

However, it is impossible to use lithium metal anodes in combinations with “traditional” lithium ion cathode materials (i.e., lithium metal oxides) because in this case both of the electrodes are already in the lithiated state. Therefore, if lithiated anode materials are to be used, in particular lithium metal itself, then non-lithiated (or partially lithiated) cathode materials must be used. Such materials include, for example, the following:

Oxidation potential Non-lithiated Cathode Materials vs. Li/Li⁺ (V) CF_(x) 3.2 Transition metal oxides, e.g.: 1.5-3.4 MnO₂ 3   V₂O₅ 1.9-3.4 V₆O₁₃   2-2.8 CuO 1.5 Transition metal sulfides, e.g.:   1-2.1 FeS₂ 1.5 MoS₂ 1-2 TiS₂ 2.1 F-containing conversion cathode materials, e.g.:   2-3.5 BiF₃, Bi₂O_(3−x)F_(2x), FeOF, FeF₃, FeF₂, CoF₃, CoF₂, TiF₃, VF₃, MnF₃, NiF₂, CrF₃, CuF₂ Organic cathode materials,   2-2.5 e.g., tetraketopiperazines, polyanthraquinone sulfides, pyromellitic acid anhydride S 2.0-2.4 Se 2.1

When such materials are overcharged, irreversible structural changes may occur which may impair or completely destroy the functionality of the cathode material. In general, the Li insertion potential should not be exceeded by more than approximately 0.5-1.5 V. In addition, it is important to prevent the charging potential from being exceeded, because otherwise, electrolyte components, e.g., organic solvents, may be oxidized with release of energy. The carbonates that are typically used in lithium ion batteries are stable to approximately 4.4 V vs. Li/Li⁺, but they are not very suitable for galvanic cells with lithium metal anodes or lithium alloy anodes. To be able to use metal anodes, reduction-stable solvents, usually ethers, are required. However, such solvents (dimethoxyethane, diethyl ether) are stable only to approximately 3.6 V (K. Xu, “Electrolytes: Overview” in Encyclopedia of Electrochemical Power Sources, J. Garche (ed.), Vol. 5, p. 51, Elsevier, Amsterdam 2009).

Such a restriction on the charging potential may be implemented electronically by a battery management system, which is relatively complex and may result in dangerous disturbances in the event of a malfunction. It is therefore desirable to have an inherent (chemical) protective system that prevents the desired final charging potential from being exceeded. Such a system is supplied by so-called redox shuttle compounds. Such compounds are oxidized when a certain charging potential is exceeded. The oxidized form is stable and can travel by migration or diffusion to the anode, where it can be discharged (reduced) to the initial form. The reduced species may then be oxidized again on the anode, etc.

No reversible redox shuttle compounds have yet been described for the aforementioned cathode materials.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery which contains a reversible redox shuttle compound and oxidizes reversibly at approximately 0.5-1.5 V above the charging potential of lithium-free cathode materials and below the start of decomposition of ethereal solvents (approximately 3.6 V).

This object is achieved according to the invention by a rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery, which contains either lithium metal or a lithium alloy as active anode material in the charged state , and an active cathode material having a redox potential in the range between 1.5 and 3.4 V vs. Li/Li' and lithium rhodanide (LiSCN) as an electrolyte component.

Powdered lithium metal or a powdered lithium alloy is preferably present as the active anode material. These anodes produced from powdered particles may be present in a mechanically compacted form by pressing, rolling or the like, or may be compressed by sintering, to obtain a structure that is macroscopically similar to sheet metal. However, the compacted powder anode is characterized by a composite structure; i.e., the phase boundaries of the powdered primary particles are discernible by high resolution imaging methods (scanning electron microscopy, for example). The use of powdered anode layers or anode layers derived from powders has the advantage that the specific current load (i.e., relative to a unit surface area) is reduced in comparison to a homogeneous sheet metal anode, resulting in reduced dendrite growth (see, for example, S. W. Kim, Metals and Materials, 6 (2000), 345-349).

Binary lithium secondary metal compounds are used as the lithium alloy, in which the secondary metal is preferably selected from the group composed of Si, Sn, Al, Ab.

The cathode material is selected from the group composed of CF_(x), transition metal oxides, transition metal sulfides, transition metal fluorides, transition metal oxyfluorides, organic redox-active compounds as well as sulfur and/or selenium.

The cathode material is preferably selected from CF_(x), MnO₂, V₂O₅, V₆O₁₃, FeOF, FeF₃, FeF₂, S.

The electrolyte in the rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery is preferably in a liquid, gelatinous or solid state at room temperature. The rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery preferably contains as an electrolyte an organic aprotic solvent selected from the group composed of cyclic or acyclic ethers, polyethers, nitriles, lactones, carbonic acid esters and/or ionic liquids.

The electrolyte preferably contains at least one organic aprotic solvent selected from the group composed of tetrahydropyran, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, acetonitrile, adiponitrile, malodinitrile, glutaronitrile, γ-butyrolactone and imidazolium salts.

The electrolyte of the rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery may preferably contain LiSCN and at least one other conductive salt.

The additional conductive salt is preferably selected from the group composed of LiPF₆, lithium fluoroalkyl phosphates, LiBF₄, imide salts, LiOSO₂CF₃, methide salts, LiClO₄, lithium chelatoborates, lithium fluorochelatoborates, lithium chelatophosphates, lithium fluorochelatophosphates and/or lithium halides.

The electrolyte of the rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery may contain organic polymers selected from the group composed of polyethylene oxide, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene fluoride or any mixtures thereof.

The LiSCN is present in the electrolyte in the rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery in a concentration of 0.01 to 15 wt %.

The LiSCN is preferably present in the electrolyte in a concentration of 1 to 10 wt %.

The invention also relates to an electrolyte for use in rechargeable nonaqueous lithium batteries, in which lithium rhodanide is contained as an electrolyte component.

The LiSCN is preferably present in the electrolyte in a concentration of 0.01 to 15 wt %.

The invention relates in particular to the use of LiSCN as a redox shuttle compound in electrolytes of rechargeable nonaqueous lithium batteries.

It has been discovered that LiSCN oxidizes when a potential of approximately 3.4 V vs. Li/Li⁺ is exceeded, and is reduced in the subsequent reductive branch. Surprisingly, this reaction is reversible: three cycles which illustrate this are shown in FIG. 1. The special advantage of LiSCN is that the LiSCN itself is a strongly dissociating lithium salt and therefore can be used as an Li electrolyte. It is therefore not necessary in principle to use another lithium salt having a conductive salt function in addition to LiSCN.

The electrolyte may be present in liquid, gelatinous or solid form. In addition to lithium rhodanide, the electrolyte may contain organic aprotic solvents, for example carbonic acid esters (dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate), cyclic or acyclic ethers (dibutyl ether, tetrahydropyran or tetrahydrofuran), polyethers (1,2-dimethoxyethane or diethylene glycol dimethyl ether), as well as nitriles (acetonitrile, adiponitrile, malodinitrile, glutaronitrile) and lactones (γ-butyrolactone), ionic liquids (e.g., imidazolium salts), additional lithium salts (e.g., LiPF₆, lithium fluoroalkyl phosphates, LiBF₄), imide salts (e.g., LiN(SO₂CF₃)₂), LiOSO₂CF₃, methide salts (e.g., LiC(SO₂CF₃)₃), LiClO₄, lithium chelatoborates (e.g., LiBOB), lithium fluorochelatoborates (e.g., LiC₂O₄BF₂), lithium chelatophosphates (e.g., LiTOP) and lithium fluorochelatophosphates (e.g., Li(C₂O₄)₂PF₂), lithium halides (LiCl, LiBr, LH), additives (e.g., vinylene carbonate) and/or polar polymers (e.g., polyethylene oxide, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene fluoride) in any mixture.

The LiSCN is present in the electrolyte in a concentration of 0.01 to 15%, particularly preferably 1 to 10%.

FIG. 1 shows a cyclovoltagram of an electrolyte with 0.1 M LiSCN in 1M LiPF₆/EC:DMC (1:1 by weight) and a Pt electrode, recorded with a rate of advance of 100 mV/s in the scanning range of 3.0-4.0 V vs. Li/Li⁺. 

1.-15. (canceled)
 16. A lithium battery comprising: lithium metal or a lithium alloy as an active anode material; and a material having a redox potential in the range between 1.5 and 3.4 V vs. Li/Li⁺ as an active cathode material; and lithium rhodanide as an electrolyte; wherein the lithium battery is rechargeable and nonaqueous.
 17. The rechargeable nonaqueous lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein powdered lithium metal or a powdered lithium alloy which may be present in a compacted form is included as the active anode material.
 18. The lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of CF_(x), a transition metal oxide, a transition metal sulfide, a transition metal fluoride, a transition metal oxyfluoride, an organic redox-active compound, sulfur and selenium.
 19. The lithium battery according to claim 18, wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of CF_(x), MnO₂, V₂O₅, V₆O₁₃, FeOF, FeF₃, FeF₂ and S.
 20. The lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein the electrolyte is in a liquid, gelatinous or solid state at room temperature.
 21. The lithium battery according to claim 20, wherein the electrolyte contains organic aprotic solvents selected from the group consisting of a cyclic ether, an acyclic ether, a polyether, a nitrile, a lactone, a carbonic acid ester and an ionic liquid.
 22. The lithium battery according to claim 21, wherein the electrolyte contains at least one organic aprotic solvent selected from the group consisting of tetrahydropyran, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, acetonitrile, adiponitrile, malodinitrile, glutaronitrile, y-butyrolactone and an imidazolium salt.
 23. The lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein the electrolyte contains LiSCN and at least one additional conductive salt.
 24. The lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein the additional conductive salt is selected from the group consisting of LiPF₆, a lithium fluoroalkyl phosphate, LiBF₄, an imide salt, LiOSO₂CF₃, a methide salt, LiClO₄, a lithium chelatoborate, a lithium fluorochelatoborate, a lithium chelatophosphate, a lithium fluorochelatophosphate and a lithium halide.
 25. The lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein the electrolyte comprises at least one organic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide, polyacrylonitrile and polyvinylidene fluoride.
 26. The lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein the LiSCN is present in the electrolyte in a concentration of 0.01 to 15 wt %.
 27. The lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein the LiSCN is present in the electrolyte in a concentration of 1 to 10 wt %.
 28. An electrolyte for use in the lithium battery according to claim 16, wherein lithium rhodanide is present as the electrolyte component.
 29. The electrolyte according to claim 28, wherein the LiSCN is present in the electrolyte in a concentration of 0.01 to 15 wt %.
 30. A battery electrolyte comprising LiSCN as a redox shuttle compound. 